When Washington and Colorado legalized marijuana they set up regulatory systems for “retail”, or “adult use”, or “recreational” growing, processing, and selling cannabis products. Unlike Colorado, Washington did not have a regulatory system for “medical” marijuana which meant they had to develop the retail system from scratch.
In January of 2015, Washington set up a medical system to take effect on July 1. However, the system is built in such a way that for all practical purposes it eliminates the medical side of the business. While there is always news of yet another state implementing a medical program (25 states now), with more to come, and several moving to full legalization this fall, Washington is quite different in that it is bucking this trend.
On July 1, all cannabis will be grown and distributed by fully-licensed retail establishments, with medical “patients” expected to buy their “medicine” from regular retail storefronts. I.e. there will be no legal medical “dispensaries”.
Those wishing to participate in the new medical system will have to register with the state (put yourself on a state database) and get an authentic doctor’s prescription (at huge risk for the doctor to lose his/her license). In exchange, they’ll get a 10% discount on taxes at the retail store if the store has acquired a medical license endorsement. It looks like about 50% of the licensed stores will have these endorsements, which costs around $2000 per store.
The growers of medical marijuana, maybe about 500 state-wide, were encouraged to get a grower license under the current retail system. The costs and hassle for this no doubt discouraged most growers, putting them legally out of business on July 1.
So, if you are in Washington and feel you require marijuana for a medical reason, it’s much cheaper and easier to just go to an existing retail store and buy your choice of product, which is of much better quality with more choices than the previous dispensaries. If the prices with taxes are too much for you, you can apply for a card to get a 10% break, or just watch for deals and sales.
The object here is to make the legal medical marijuana business so cumbersome that it dies completely by the end of summer. Anyone in Washington growing, processing, or selling cannabis without a license is subject to raids, confiscation of product and assets, and jail and fines. Plus, no state protection from the DEA, who are champing at the bit to get their rocks off busting potheads.
Washington is basically a non-medical marijuana state now, completely a regulated retail place which is unique in the country.